Diesel or petrol?

I am trying to go 'eco.' Better for the enviroment and better for my wallet. I currently drive a 2.0litre Hyundai Coupe which is far from green and loves petrol (I average about 28mpg).

So was looking at changing for something a little better on both counts, and was drawn in by the headline grabbing ecomotives / bluemotions, then I read a little more (including on this site) about DPF and possible issues and that many people don't even get close to stated mpgs, with the new Volkswagen Group 1.6 TDis anyway.

However, the question was more could I get away with a diesel or are my journey times too short for DPF? I do about 10k a year, but my general use consists of about ten minutes on motorway and not much else. Would a DPF live with that, or would it struggle? I don't do a massive amount of longer journeys.

If a petrol is a better option, how would something like the 1.2 TSI 105PS SEAT engine perform, considering I'm used to 2.0 litres would it still be happy enough on a motorway or should I consider a bigger engine, as was looking towards an Ibiza ST.

Asked on 17 March 2011 by Ecowarrier

Answered by Honest John
Expect 40 - 45mpg from the 1.2TSI 105. It works quite well in Golf sized car. Or go down a size and get a new Mazda2 1.3TS2 (specifically that model). Now under 120g/km so £30 tax, about 45mpg and a hoot to drive.
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